My autograph of Ray Gunn - Norman Rockwell's model

by Rose Bohnhoff
(Effingham County, Illinois)

Last year my daughter Mary took her dad and myself (her mom) to the State of Massachusetts to watch the whales.

Her two boys (my grandsons Zach & Bradley) wanted to watch the whales off of the coast of Massachussetts.

Unknown to me, she was also going to take me to Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge Mass.

What a wonderful surprise! Main Street was just like the picture only it was in the summer.

The Red Lion Inn was awesome.

Rockwell's studio was just as he had left it except that it had been moved. When we got to the museum there was a man telling things about Rockwell and his paintings. Come to find out he was one of Rockwell's subjects - Ray Gunn.

I was so excited, but left with out his autograph.

So after we had gone to the coast and watched whales, we started back after a few days. Unknown to me, my daughter stopped back at the Museum so I could get Ray Gunn's autograph.

To have met someone that personally known Mr. Rockwell was out of this world. To get his autograph for myself and a friend (Ham Harold Hampton is a great fan of Rockwell and a great painter himself) was a wonderful gift from my daughter. She is such a good person and very good to her mom.

I would like to come back some day and take more time. This trip was a dream come true. I wish my friend Ham could see the Norman Rockwell museum also. He will be 72 this September. He has painted himself using Rockwell prop of the 'triple self portrait'. It looks just like Rockwell's.

Thank you for your time. Maybe I'll hear from someone on the other end.

Rose Bohnhoff
Dieterich, Illinois